olmstead



2 sheets sheet 1.

(No Model.)

' 0. OLMSTEAD.

GAB. COUPLING No. 527,392. Patented Oct. 9, 1894.

' (No Mudel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 0. OLMSTEAD.

UAR COUPLING.

No. 527,392. Patented Oct. 9, 1894.

7!,1'276425 8 es Invent 07';

U TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OREN OLMSTEAD, SUTTON, CANADA.

CAR-CQUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 527,392, dated October 9, 1894. Application filed October 24, 1893. Serial No. 489.066- (No model.)

limb; second, to provide an easy and quick way for coupling and uncoupling cars; third, to couple without the assistance of any person; and, fourth, to do it instantaneously. I attain these objects by mechanism as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view of the entire machine Fig. 2 is a front end view. Fig. 3 is a side View. Figs. 4 and 4? represent acoupling rod. Fig. 5 is a section coupling lever, showing the rounded slot end. i 1

The letters on the drawings show the difierout parts of the coupler, and the same letters refer to the same parts throughout the several figures.

A, A, is a coupling rod, which projects I through'the mouth of the draw bar,'a sufficient about two-feet eight inches long, and is madedistance to move spring B at rear end of box, when shoved back. Coupling rod A, A, is

of five-eighths inch round iron, with a turned end about four inches long, with square shoulder to admit spring B, and coiled spring, C.

Fig. 4 is crooked coupling rod I have sub-1 stituted for Fig. 4, as shown in Fig. l, A, A. The coupling rod can be crooked sufficiently to pass the ends of timbers that hold the draw 1 bars, in position.

B, is steel spring some eight inches long made of the best spring steel about one and one-half inches wide with a three-eighths inch hole inthe inside box to let coupling rod A,

A,pass through. It has a half square shoulder about one and one-half inches long whose coupling rod passes through. It is made convex shape inside from square shoulder to about one and one-fourth inches from the opposite end which end is fastened to the back side of spring B is beveled where the bolt passes through, so as to throw the opposite end from the box as model. a

C, is coiled spring made of one-eighth inch spring wire, and on turned end of coupling rod, A, A, to hold it in position and is placed between spring, B, and end of box.

D, represents the draw bar. The draw bars now in use can be used with my coupler, which will be a great saving in expense.

F, is mouth of draw bar.

G, G, is coupling pin twenty inches long which passes through the mouth of draw bar in a horizontal position. The coupling pin is made of the best one and one-half inch round iron or steel, six inches on end to be full size of iron where it holds the link, with tapered end. Commencing about six inches ad of the box with a small bolt. The back shown in the diagram and from the tapered end the pin must be turned down to about three-fourths of an inch in size for six inches, then left full size for two inches, with turned groove in the center three-fourths of an inch turned down with square shoulders to three-fourths of an inch in size to hold coupling lever, N, N., then commencing one-half of an inch from groove turned with square shoulder, and leave the balance of the pin threefourths of an inch in sizeto hold coil spring g.

H, is crossbars and cap that holds coupling lever, N, N in place. The lower bar is a straight piece of wrought iron eight inches long, one and one-half inches wide and threeeighths of an inch thick. The end of the bar rests on slot bearings, attached or cast to the side of the box. It has a pin hole near the center for pivot on coupling lever, N, N. The upper bar is same length and size, made with half elliptic circle to allow the action of coupling rod A, A over the inside end. The cap has a hole near the center to correspond with hole in lower bar and for pivot in coupling lever N, N. One end of the cap is placed in slot attachment to inside of the box, while the outer end rests in a groove cast in the outside of the box and is held in place by the lid of the box.

I, I, is pivoted'uncoupling lever twenty-two inches long made of one-half inch thick by The centershould be one inch wide and five-.

convexed. It has a three-eighths of an inch holein the center for pivot or bolt andis fastened to the bottom of box by said bolt or pivot. It also has a crank pin Z in rear end.

Crank pin Z in lover I, I, is made of one-half Y of an inch roundiron or steel three'inches long, and is used to move coupling lever N N in position for uncoupling.

J J, are one-fourth inch rods of iron attached to the opposite ends of uncoupling 1ever, I, I, for uncoupling cars. and handle attachment to the rods, J, J, on the bottom of freight cars which comes to the outside of the cars so that cars can be uncoupled from either side, without going or reachingbetween them. There is also a chain and lever attachment to ring on end of J, left side of cars projectingone foot or more.

above the top of box cars for uncoupling.

freight cars from the top; also a lever attachment for uncoupling from platform of passenger cars, neither of which is shown in. the draw ings. The lever attachment for the end of freight cars ismade of oneinch wrought iron one-half inch thick, extending one foot or more above the top of the car with a bolt one. third the distance of car from the lower endof lever. Where it is attached to the end of car the lever should be one and one-halfinches wide at the bolt hole, and slightly tapered and convexed toward each end witha staple at the lower end to attach to ring on end of .I. The lever for platform of passenger cars is the same only shorter.

N, N, is pivoted coupling lever which is held in position by steel spring 13 for instantaneous coupling of cars. Coupling lever N N istwo feet long and made from steel or wrought iron.

eighths of an inch thick for pivot and slightly tapered toward the back end, and is madewith inside rounded so as to let the lever come into position on steel spring B. The front end of coupling lever, N, N, is made two inches wide sides slightly beveled having a slot in the center rounded to fit the groove on the coupling pin to move coupling pin, G, G.

g is coil spring on coupling pin, G, G. This coil spring shunts back into a nozzle, on the left side made for said spring to shut into when it is uncoupled.

K K, are lids that cover the box.

Lis-crooked link with a quarter turn to connect with other pin coupling cars. While the process of change is going on with my couplers, I use the straight link.

M, is flat spring in the mouth of the draw bar to hold the link from dropping too low to enter the mouth of the next car. This spring should be made of the best spring steel one-fourthof an inch thick and three inches wide and should beslightly thinned where it turns over into the mouth of the draw bar, and is fastened to the under side of draw bar by two screw bolts, also the inner end is slightly flanged where the link rests on it, and is Thereis arOd.

and five-eighths of an inch thick. is built-on these bars of iron, and fastened to .the draw bar. parts and fastened to the box by flanges and S, S, are bars of iron on which my coupler is built three feet long and three inches wide The box the under side of the draw bars by bolts thus giving it the, same. sliding-motion that the draw bars have- In Fig. 1, E, E, are sides and ends of my double coupling box and are independent of timbers and draw bars to which it is attached; The leftside of box is to contain my automatic arrangement for coupling cars. The right side is used to protect the coupling pin and uncoupling rods. This side may also be used as a box forsmall tools. The sides, ends and bottoms of the boxes are alike, and made i of cast iron so me three-eighths of an inch thick in one piece each. The length. of the box outsidcmeasurement is two feet four inches long.

The width of main part is nine inches wide inside, and four inches deep front side while the back side next to the timbers is five inches deep. This is for the outside. The front ends for five inches are to be made with a square angle seven inches in order to pass.

theends of the timbers and connect it with The ,lids are cast iron in two hooks. They are cast in two pieces to admit of getting atthe coupling pin. The front. end lids are five inches wide and fastened to the longer part of lids by hinges. The front lids are cast onan obtuse angle sixteen by five of the box is cast hollow three inches long to hold coil spring g, on coupling pin when uncoupled. The nozzle can be castwith the box or separate and attached with flanges and bolts. Figs. 4: and 4* represent a crooked coupling rod which I have substituted for Fig. 4;. This is the coupling rod in Fig. 1.

Having thus explained my invention,,what

' I claim is- 1. In a car-coupling of the link and pin type, a vertically chambered draw head, a horizontal spring actuated coupling-pin, a spring actuated uncoupling bar, which normally protrudes through said draw head for contact with the draw head of an adjacent car, a 7 spring actuated latch pivotally attached to the opposite end of said uncouplingbar, and

a rocker lever engaging at one end with said latch and at the other with said coupling-pin,

whereby the latter is made to automatically engage with a link when two draw heads come together. a I

2. In a car coupler, a spring pushed coupling pin projecting horizontally across the link opening of the draw-bar in combination with a lever for retracting said pin a catch for locking said lever when the pin is retracted and mechanism for automatically releasing said catch when the draw bar of the two cars contact. 7

3. In a car coupler; a spring-pushed sliding bar having its free end projecting longitudinally in front of the drawbar head, a spring pushed pin projecting transversely across the link opening of said head; a lever pivotally supported on the draw-bar for retracting said pin; a catch for locking said lever adapted to be released by the inward movement of said sliding bar all being combined and arranged to operate substantially as set forth.

4;. In a car coupler; the chambered drawbar head in combination with the spring M, projecting from the bottom wall thereof substantially as described.

5. A car coupling having a vertically chambered throat or link opening, a spring actuated coupling pin operating horizontally through the draw head and across said link opening, a lever for retracting said pin, and

means substantially as described for operating said retracting lever from either side of a car, and for automatically releasing said coupling-pin at the moment a draw head shall come in contact with that of an adjacent car.

6. Ina car coupler; a spring pushed pin projecting into the link opening of the drawbar, a lever pivotally supported on said drawbar for retracting said pin, a lever operated from the outer side of the car, for moving said retracting lever a spring catch for locking said retracting lever a spring pushed sliding bar normally holding said spring catch and fitted to release the same when struck by the draw-bar of a companion car all being combined and arranged to operate substantially as described.

7. In a car coupler; the draw-bar in combination with the spring pushed bar, A, the catch, B, operated thereby; the spring pushed coupling pin sliding transversely into said drawbar the lever, N, for retracting said pin and adapted to be locked by said catch and mechanism for operating said lever.

8. In a car coupler; the chambered drawbar a box supported thereon a spring pushed coupling pin projecting across the link opening of said bar; a lever for retracting said pin; a spring catch for locking said lever; the spring pushed-bar, A, sliding longitudinally through the head of said draw-bar and operating said catch; the lever, I, for actuating the retracting lever and a connection between said lever, I, and the top or side of the car for actuating the same all being combined and arranged to operate substantially as specified.

OREN OLMSTEAD. 

